Enugu State, for the second time, has refused to honour the South-East team games elimination series ahead of the 2020 National Sports Festival in the country.

Newsmen report that Enugu State is not taking part in the ongoing South-East team game elimination in Owerri, Imo State.

Team games comprise football, handball, volleyball and basketball.

A source close to the Enugu State Ministry of Youths and Sports said that the 2019 transitional government after the general election cost the state the National Youth Games (NYGs) team games elimination in Anambra.

The source also said that the state could not field team game sports at the ongoing South-East team games elimination for the forthcoming National Sports Festival (NSF) due to some unforeseen challenges.

It was said that the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Henrietta Ani had retired while the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Vitus Okechi was out of the country on medical ground.

“The Commissioner is not in town due to some challenges so our problem is sourcing the money from the government for the sports festival,” the source said.

In 2019, Enugu State failed to honour the team games elimination for the NYGs that took place in Anambra.

With the state’ failure to honour the elimination hosted by Anambra State in 2019, it cannot field team games sports at the NYGs in Kwara State.

The failure to take the team games to the ongoing elimination in Owerri, Imo means that the state will not field team games at the 2020 NSF coming up in Edo.

Newsmen further reported that the ongoing South-East team game elimination started on Tuesday Jan. 21 and will end on Saturday Jan. 25.

The Ministry which has a Director for coaching, Director for Sports Organising and others failed to source fund for the NSF.

 

 

NAN